What makes one of the top performers in women’s softball spend hours in thh gym alone? SPARQ Magg found out when we spent a few busy days with Amanda Freed.

There aren’t too many more softball mountains for Amanda Freed to climb. And in no way is she slowing down now.

In March 2008, SPARQ Mag hooked up with Olympic decathlete Bryan Clay to see how he’d compare to some top rated athletes we’ve tested.

Athletes who train and compete to do the decathlon- the 10-sport track & field event that includes 110-meter hurdles, long jump, pole vault, and javelin, among others -are often dubbed the World’s Greatest Athlete. In a recent round of SPARQ Testing, the current world-champion decathlete, Bryan Clay, proved he deserves that lofty title.

Q: “I’ve always had a pretty good batting average, but never had good power. Any tips for improving batting power?”

Sometimes in sports, you find a concept that’s brilliant in its simplicity: you can’t hit what you can’t see.

Todd Norman continues his series on strength training advice.

SPARQ Trainer Rick Scarpulla gives pitching-specific warmup tips and drills to help Baseball and Fastpitch athletes prevent shoulder injury.

The swing is not a robotic thing. It’s got flow. Soul. It’s as unique as your fingerprint.

When you stop conditioning you become more prone to injury. Rick Scarpulla explains why you must continue to work at speed and strength in order to maintain the gains you have made.

Ladder drills are simple and effective, and extremely easy to modify. One drill can be done in many different ways by simply adding extra steps, adding a ball toss, or by going in a different direction.

Pierce J.C. pitching coach John Bushart shares his insights.